Ireland v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI – 5 Talking Points

After having lost the 1^st ODI by 76 runs, it was time for the Irishmen to salvage some pride in the second and the final ODI of the two-match series in the Irish backyard. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, wished for a dominating finish to the series in a bid to prepare well for their ODI series against England that kicks off on June 21.

However, things turned out to be a horrendous for the hosts, as Sri Lankan batsmen wreaked havoc on the Irish bowlers in a total chaos at The Village, Dublin. After a decent start, the Lankan batsmen hit the Ireland bowlers to all parts of the stadium to push away the hosts from any sight of restoring some pride.

1. Kusal Perera leads the Sri Lankan run parade:

Ireland skipper William Porterfield won the toss and put the visitors into bat first. The Sri Lankan batsmen did not shy away from the overcast conditions and dominated the proceedings right through the innings. Openers Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka made a mockery of the Irish bowling and took special liking to their bowling spearhead, Boyd Rankin. After a steady start of 47/0 in the mandatory powerplay, the Lankans upped the ante in the overs that followed. The result that perspired then was a marathon 148-run opening stand with both the openers bringing up their half centuries. Perera played the anchor role and in the process, brought up his 3rd ODI ton. He went on to score his career-best score of 135 in 128 balls with 16 fours and 2 sixes.

2. Seekuge Prasanna’s blitzkrieg cameo:

The opening stand was finally broken when Gunathilaka was run out by Andy McBrine in the 27th over. His innings of 63 came in 76 balls with 6 fours and a six. In walked Seekugge Prasanna and possibly played one of the best knocks that he would ever play in his career. Prasanna took very little time to settle in the middle as he started hammering the Irish bowlers right from the word go. He looked set for his ton too, but could manage 95 off 46 balls with 9 sixes and 5 fours on the day. It was in the 42nd over when Tim Murtagh cleaned up Prasanna before getting rid of Perera in the space of 3 deliveries.

Also read – Ire v SL, 2nd ODI Review: Kusal Perera ton shuts out Ireland

3. Irish make a comeback – a little too late:

Farveez Maharoof and Angelo Mathews put on 54 runs in 30 balls for the 5th wicket to take the score past the 350-run mark. Wickets then fell in clusters but Mathews (24 off 18) and Maharoof (29 off 16) had ensured that Sri Lanka posted a gigantic 377/8 in their 50 overs. Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga and Kusal Mendis scored in single digits and the late comeback saw Ireland make a comeback. Had this not been the case, the visitors looked set for a 400 plus total.

4. Irish batting woes continues:

The Irish openers, William Porterfield (8 off 18) and Paul Stirling (22 off 24), had a major task ahead of them. The two could not live up to the pressure and succumbed in quick succession, with Suranga Lakmal being the beneficiary bowler on both occasions. Ed Joyce and John Anderson were the two new batsmen at the crease. But Ireland could never recover from the situation. Joyce was removed by Maharoof for 9. Kevin O’Brien could add just 12 runs to the team tally before become Shanaka’s first victim. Stuart Poynter and Gary Wilson then batted for a brief while before Wilson became the 6th man to be dismissed to see Ireland succumb to 112/6 at the half-way stage. Poynter’s brief resistance of 36 came in 50 balls and he was Lakmal’s 3rd scalp of the night.

5. McBrine makes Sri Lanka wait:

It was a matter of formalities after that as Ireland were facing a heavy defeat right in their home soil. Sri Lanka had to toil hard for the last wicket though as Andy McBrine was in no mood to leave the crease. He came into bat in the 26th over and was the last man to be dismissed. He hit the ball cleanly and well enough to race to 79 runs in just 64 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. In the process, he put on 54 runs for the last wicket with Boyd Rankin. His departure saw Sri Lanka win by 136 runs to seal the series 2-0.